Feeler with teeth in an arc



E. s. STIMPSQN. FEELER WITH TEETH IN AN ARC.

APPLICATION FILED llULY |31 1918.

1,332,774. muted m1121920,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD S. vSTIMISON, 0F HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO DRAPER CORPORATION, OF HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF FEELER WITH TEETH IN AN ARC.

Application filed .Tuly 18, 1918.

To all whom may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD S. STIMPSON,

of Hopedale, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new Feeler with Teeth in an Arc, of which the following is a specication.

The new feeler mechanism includes a slid-f` surface of the Ibobbin and slips along the bobbin, the feeler as a'wholethenswingingI laterally. This lateral movement is utilized to set into action a train of weft replenishing mechanism withV the result thatl .fthe nearly depleted bobbin (or the shuttle carrying it) is ejected and a filled bobbin (or f a shuttle carrying a filled bobbin) is brought into action. Except in the respects to be particularized the feeler mechanism lherein set forth is similar to that illustrated and described in Letters Patent ofthe United States, Number 1,309,226, dated July 8, 1919. The present improvement relates to the feeler-tipy and its relation to the laterally slipping feeler arm andto the bobbin and the weft carried thereby.

The improvement is illustrated in the ac- Y companying drawings in which- Figure 1, isa plan View of so much of the detecting side of the loom as is necessary for an understanding of the improve- `ment. In this figure the front walls of the shuttle and of theshuttle box are shown in section, and the parts are shown in the position which they occupy just as the weft first encounters the feeler tip during the forward swing of the lay. Figs. 2, 3 and .4, are views of the feeler tip and of a portion of the weft and of the bobbin on an enlarged scale illustrating their relation at different stages of they operation of the loom. Fig. 2, shows the initial contact between the weft and feeler tip. Fig. 3, illustrates approximately the condition which occurs following the encounter of weft and feeler tip, 1ndicating a penetration of the teethinto the weft. Fig.l 1, illustrates the conditions fol- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 2, 1920.

serial No. 245,565.

and the bare bobbin. Fig. 5, is a detailed vertical section in the plane indicated in the line 5-5 in Fig. 2..

rIlhe feeler comprises a feeler arm A, and a feeler tip B. -The feeler arm is mounted so as to both slide and swing and it is shown as inclined to the fore and aft swing of the lay and with the feeler tip oifset laterally mward as compared with the forward end of the feeler arm, in this respect being similar to the feeler arm set forth in said patent. As avconse'quence of this disposition of the feeler arin` the impact of the forwardly moving bobbin tends to swing the feeler arm laterally inward, that is to say ltoward the middle of the loom and the tip of the bobbin- C, and away from the ybutt of the bobbin'. So long, however, as weft D, is present on the bobbin opposite the feeler tip the .engagement of the weft with the feeler tip feelerv causes the feeler to swing and the teeth'E, to slip along the bobbin to a position indicated by full lines in Fig. 4. This lateral swing is utilized to set the weft replenishing train into action.

As thus ,far referred to the organization and mode of operation are similar to those of the aforesaid patent. In 'accordance with the present improvement, the feeler tip B, is rigidly and immovably secured within the forked free rear end of the feeler arm A, by a screw-F, as shown .in Fig. 5. The feeler tip has a plurality of teeth E, eight being shown. All of the teeth which ever come in contact with the .bobbin are Vblunt and rounded so that there is no danger of either cutting the'weft or scratching the bobbin.

The outer ends of the teeth are not in' the same plane but are disposed at different disof the bobbin. This is accomplished by arranging the ends of the teeth in the arc of a circle. The arc of the circle in which the rear ends of the teeth are arranged is convex 4, so that the teeth are at varying distances from the bobbin, and in the normal position of rest shown in. Figs. l and 2 the middle teeth in the arc are nearer the surface of. the bobbin and of the weft than are the outer or end teeth of the arc. yThis disposition of the teeth is such that enough of them contact with the weft so that there is adequate engagement to prevent premature slipping of the feeler tip lengthwise of the bobbin. When, however, the bobbin is bare no more than two of the feeler teeth can contact with the bobbin at any one time; and, as the feeler tip moves inwardly its teeth roll along the surface of the bobbin as indicated in Fig. 4, different teeth thus successively contacting with the bobbin. This tooth disposition is of particular importance becausethe surface'of the bobbin may not be smooth or true and hence with all or most of the teeth in contact with the bobbin the action of the feeler at the critical stage may not be prompt. With the present improved vtooth 'organization irregularities of the bobbin do not interfere with the instant action of the feeler tip at the critical time.

The accompanying drawings illustrate only enough of the feeler` supporting and coperating mechanism to enable the sliding 'and swinging movements of the feeler arm to be understood since in these respects the mechanism is identical with that shown in the aforesaid patent. The feeler arm A, is mounted on a bracket I, attached to a lateral extension J, of the breast beam. A rock shaft K, is journaled to the forward end of the bracket turning on a vertical axis. This rock shaft. has a through-aperature through which the front end of the feeler arm extends and slides. At its rear end the feeler arm extends through a broad passage- Way in the bracket, the margins of this passage-way being indicated by the dotted lines L, L. The top of this passage-way is closed -by a cap M, which with the bottom of the feeler arm is* also maintained by the spring against the outer wall L, of the passageway. The rock shaft K, is offset laterally and outwardly with respect to the passageway so that the feeler arm stands at an angle to the. fore and aft swin of the lay and the bobbin (or the weft t ereon) encounters the tip along a fore and aft path nearer the tip of the bobbin than a parallel `path intersecting the rock shaft. So long as the weft on the bobbin encounters the teeth of the tip the resistance thus offered prevents any slipping of the tip lengthwise of the bobbin. Accordingly as the lay moves forward after thefirst encounter of the weft with the tip there is no sliding of the ti on the weft but during the completion o the forward movement of the bobbin the feeler arm is moved forwardly compressing the spring Q. During this normal action there is a slight inward swin `(to the right) of .the feeler arm permittec by the turning of the rock shaft. When the bobbin is bare opposite the feeler tip there is a further in ward lateral swing of the feeler arm to the right and this additional swing is utilized to set in action thetrain of weftreplenishnormal swing of the feeler arm has no effect on the controller. When, however, the functional swing of the feeler arm is imparted to it by the lengthwise movement of the feeler tip along the bobbin the controller is "slid laterally inward. This lateral movement of the controller is utilized to bring about weft replenishment as explained in detail in the aforesaid patent. After the functional action has occurred a fixed cam W, on the bracket acts upon a projection on the feeler arm to restore the feeler arm tol its normal position as it retreats under the influence of the spring Q.

The weft D, is so wound on the bobbin .that there is a suiicient amount to continue the weavin after the feeler tip has performed its unctional sli and until weft replenishment hasbeen e ected.

It will be noted from the drawings that the are of the points of the teeth is eccentric to the axis ofthe rock-shaft K, in all positions of the feeler arm, the radius of the arc being less than that of the feeler arm as a whole.

l. A laterally slipping feeler arm having a rigidly attached tip offset laterally with respect to its pivot, said tip having a plurality of bobbin and weft engaging teeth with theirtips at dilferent distances from the bobbin and arranged in an arc of a circle eccentric to the pivot of the feeler arm.

. 2. A laterally slipping feeler arm having a rigidly attached tip with a plurality of bobbin and weft engaging teeth with their tips at different distances from the bobbin and plurality of bobbin and weft engaging teeth arranged in an are of a Circle eccentric to with their tips at varying distances from 10 the pivot of the feeler arni. the bobbin, the middle teeth in the normal 3. A laterally slipping feeler having a. position of rest of the feeler being nearer the 5 plurality of bobbin and weft engaging teeth bobbin than the end teet with their tips arranged in an are of a circle In Witness whereof I have hereunto signed convex toward the bohbin.` my name.

4. A laterally slipping feeler having a EDWARD S. STIMPSON. 

